MGNREGA triggers farm labour shortage during agri season: Pawar

 

Studies suggest that MGNREGA has triggered shortage of labour for agricultural operations like sowing and harvesting in the key agri states and has also pushed up general wage level, Parliament was informed today.

 

These were the findings of state-level studies conducted by Agro Economic Research Centres under the Ministry of Agriculture, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

The studies were conducted in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana and Punjab, he said.

Pawar said suggestions have been received from stakeholders notably farmers to plan MGNREGA works in such a manner that it does not lead to labour shortage during period of critical agricultural operations.

Reports had highlighted lesser arrival of labourers mainly from Bihar to Punjab due to successful implementation of the key rural employment guarantee scheme in the eastern state among others.

A survey carried by a Patna based non-governmental organisation had highlighted that migration of labourers from Bihar had declined by over 26 per cent in 2008-09 as compared to 2001-03.

Earlier, the Rural Development Ministry had turned down a request from the Agriculture ministry to suspend MGNREGA projects during peak farming seasons because of labour shortage.

 

The Agriculture Ministry had sought amendment in the job guarantee scheme so that agriculture is not effected particularly during sowing and harvesting period.

It had pointed that Punjab and Haryana known as ”food basket of India” were particularly hard hit by shortage of labourers during agri seasons.